Since 2008, a certain demographic of NBA fans has wondered when there will be an arcade game worth picking up. In the mid-2000s, players had the likes of both the NBA Street and NBA Ballers franchises to enjoy for a non-sim experience. Since then, however, it’s been silent. Play by Play Studios’ NBA The Run breaks the silence in impressive fashion.
A fast-paced, arcade basketball title that doesn’t try to be an NBA Street copy, NBA The Run does enough to stand out as its own thing. But is it a flash in the pan or a game with staying power?
NBA The Run Review
In NBA The Run, you take the court for 3v3 basketball that mixes the flash of monster dunks and ankle-breaking ball skills.
There are dozens of dunk and ball-handling animations, many of which you unlock through earning cred and purchasing them at the shop. You have your alley-oops, spin moves, 360 dunks, and more at your disposal to get around or over the defender.
Two modes will take up all of your time: Knockout Squads and Knockout Solos. Solos lets you control your entire team, while Squads have you team up with two other players (more thoughts on that later). Both have their benefits, but I find myself enjoying Squads more due to the strategy and positioning that come into play when you have a good group.
Each game comes with special stipulations like First to 11, with all baskets counting as one, or Dunkfest, which sees all dunks worth more than any other shot. Depending on the team makeup, you’ll have players you want to have the ball in certain situations. If I have Jalen Brunson and it’s a Dunkfest game, I’m giving the ball to Anthony Edwards rather than taking it to the rim myself.
The game features a roster of street “legends” and NBA stars that have their own skills and attributes. What impresses me as much as the gameplay is how different the NBA players feel from each other. Kawhi Leonard is a lockdown defender, Steph Curry can make shots from anywhere, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a full-court player, and Victor Wembanyama will take everything out of the sky.
If building a solo team, the makeup matters just as much as the on-court play. The developers even did their best to recreate accurate shot releases for each player. It’s a small touch, but something NBA fans like myself will appreciate.
Because the game is online-centric, it’s normal to wonder about the queues and performance. It takes no time at all to find matchups with crossplay available between PC and console, and, when in a game, I haven’t had a single hiccup, personally. There’s the odd instance where a pass looks like it went past the target only to be in their hands a split second later, but there’s been nothing in the way of lag, response time delays, or rubber banding.
Something’s Missing
Honestly, the biggest gripe I have is the lack of single-player offerings.
There’s no single-player story to learn and unlock the different roster members. You unlock the street legends as you rank up, but that’s really the only progression. There’s no backstory behind any of them or why they are who they are.
NBA The Run is an online-first game. I get that, and respect that. But for the offline mode that exists (Knockout Friends), it would be nice if the AI wasn’t worse than going up against pylons. There needs to be logic in what the AI is doing, not just this seemingly straight line up and down the court they like to run in.
There’s also no local multiplayer. Not really a major feature in games nowadays, but it’s disappointing when my son asks to play together and we simply can’t.
I’d also like to go back to Knockout Squads. I really do enjoy this game, but it’s so much more fun playing with a team of friends. You can get lucky at times playing with random people online, but, more often than not, you’ll end up frustrated with teammates who would rather dribble around until they have the ball stolen than pass to anyone. Seriously, it’s really easy to pass. Just hit X (or A on an Xbox controller).
NBA The Run Review Verdict
NBA The Run is nearly everything I’ve wanted in a modern-day street basketball game. From fun dribbling mechanics to smooth animations to a pick-up-and-play control scheme that anyone can get into, it truly is one of the most fun sports games to come around in some time. The art style, presentation, and environments just build upon what NBA The Run has to offer.
The foundation here is already strong. If Play by Play Studios continues to expand the experience with meaningful content updates, NBA The Run has a real chance to become the arcade basketball game fans have been waiting for.
NBA The Run
8
NBA The Run
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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